For more than 900 years, Swan Upping has been an historic census of swans on the River Thames between Sunbury and Abingdon, and now plays an important role in the conservation of mute swans, the largest waterbirds on the river.
Swan Upping is led by the King’s Swan Marker on behalf of the Crown, accompanied by Swan Uppers from the Vintners and Dyers Livery Companies, which also have rights of ownership over some of the swans.
Swan Upping is a very colourful ceremony. The King’s Swan Marker wears a hat with a white swan’s feather in it and the King’s Swan Uppers all wear scarlet. They use traditional Thames rowing skiffs, each flying coloured flags and pennants for the livery companies.
Adult swans that were ringed with individual identification numbers as cygnets are owned by either the Vintners or the Dyers livery companies; and their cygnets born this spring remain in the same ownership. All birds owned by the Crown are left unmarked.
Each day the Swan Uppers row upstream to spot families of swans and cygnets. They carefully position their boats around the swans, lift the young cygnets from the water and take them to the bank to assess their health and examine them for any injuries.
Cygnets are extremely vulnerable at this early stage in their development, and Swan Upping identifies any birds that might need help.
Swan Support, a swan rehabilitation centre rescuing, treating and caring for sick and injured swans within the Thames Valley, accompany the Swan Uppers, ready to take swans to their centre for treatment.
Many schools are invited to bring children to meet the Swan Uppers, see the cygnets as they are weighed, and find out more about what the Swan Uppers are doing.
This year’s Swan Upping starts at 9am on Monday 14 July in Sunbury and finishes at 6pm on Friday 18 July in Abingdon. Details of the locations, dates and times here https://www.royalswan.co.uk/
